What is the VSEPR shape for #CH_3OH#?

1 Answer
anor277
Apr 9, 2016

There is tetrahedral geometry around BOTH the carbon and oxygen centres.

Explanation:

Around each #C# and #O# there are #4# electron pairs, bonding and non-bonding. To a first approximation VSEPR specifies tetrahedral geometries about #C# and #O#, and indeed there are.

The #/_H-C-H# and #/_H-C-O# bonds have a bond angle of approx. #109.5^@#. The #H-O-C# bond angle tends to be compressed slightly due to the oxygen lone pairs which are stereochemically active, so maybe the #H-O-C# bond angle #=# approx. #104-5^@#. Capisce?

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